By Frank Pingue
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) -Rory McIlroy will try to achieve golfing immortality when he sets out in the final round of the Masters on Sunday with a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau, seeking to complete a career Grand Slam of victories in golf’s four majors.
DeChambeau, who capped his third round with a remarkable 48-foot birdie putt from off the 18th green, is on the hunt for a third major title and the distinction of becoming the first player to win at Augusta National while a member of LIV Golf.
For McIlroy, this week marks his 11th attempt at joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only men to claim a career Grand Slam.
DeChambeau is the only player to break 70 in each of the first three rounds this week while McIlroy stormed into the lead on Saturday after becoming the first player in Masters history to start a round by carding six consecutive threes.
McIlroy and DeChambeau, two of golf’s most popular players, will head out in a blockbuster final pairing at 2:30 p.m. ET (1830 GMT) in a rematch of sorts from last year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.
“It’s going to be a little rowdy and a little loud,” said McIlroy. “I’m just going to have to settle in and really try to keep myself in my own little bubble and keep my head down.”
DeChambeau took advantage at last year’s U.S. Open when McIlroy’s putter went cold late in the final round, throwing away what would have been his first major triumph since August 2014.
This will be only the fourth time in the past 30 years that the final pairing of a major will feature two multiple major champions.
“It will be the grandest stage that we’ve had in a long time and I’m excited for it,” said DeChambeau.
Canada’s Corey Conners, alone in third place and four shots off the lead, will head out at 2:20 p.m. ET alongside LIV’s Patrick Reed, who is a further two shots adrift.
Swede Ludvig Aberg, who finished runner-up on his Masters debut last year, is also six shots adrift of McIlroy.
Defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and fellow major winners Shane Lowry, Jason Day and Justin Rose are all sitting seven shots off the lead in a four-way share of sixth place.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Augusta, GeorgiaEditing by David Goodman)
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